By Rubin E. Grant
The Rev. Craig Smalley has been caught up in a whirlwind for the past six months, but he hasn’t been blown away.
Since being tabbed in May as the dean and rector at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Smalley has been engaged in a whirlwind of activity, including getting ready to commemorate the church’s 150th anniversary with a special service Dec. 4.
“It’s been wonderful, but personally it has been a whirlwind,” Smalley said.
Smalley joined the Advent in 2006, serving on the clergy staff under the Rev. Frank Limehouse. He has served in a number of capacities, including canon for Christian education, canon missioner, canon for pastoral care, and chaplain to the day school. He had served as interim dean for a year when he was called to serve as the dean and rector.
“I certainly have more responsibility and I’m still trying to figure it out, but I am grateful to be a part of such a great ministry,” Smalley said. “It’s a place I love and a place my family loves.”
Smalley and his wife, Paula, have three grown children: Jack, Maizie and Sally.
“I’m getting more comfortable and as I continue to get settled in, I’m getting more excited,” Smalley said. “Going forward, we’re looking to continue what we’ve been doing but also with the different challenges to see what that moment looks like and how we should serve in that moment.”
In October, the Advent celebrated its founding with a special evening of fellowship. On Nov. 17, the Cathedral Choir held a special citywide Choral Evensong in celebration of the parish’s founding.
“Celebrating the 150th anniversary has been incredibly energizing,” Smalley said. “One of the thrills of looking back at the history is we get to see how the church has navigated the fat times and lean times, growing and thriving and not growing and thriving, being very much a part of Birmingham’s ups and downs. The grace of God has carried us.”
Begun Shortly After Civil
War
Alice Bowsher, who has been a member of the Advent for more than 40 years, has served as the church’s historiographer since 1996. She put together a historical record of the church.
“Having grown up in Birmingham as an Episcopalian, and recently returned from Washington, D.C., I liked the idea of being downtown in the heart of the city, in a church that drew people from the greater Birmingham community,” Bowsher said. “Being the church’s historiographer gave me an opportunity to dig more deeply into the history of the Advent and to reflect on its meaning through the lens of ministry and faith.”
Her historical record details how in 1871 – six years after the end of the Civil War – a small group of Southern planters, investors and railroad men organized the Elyton Land Company to buy 4,150 acres in north central Alabama with the intention of creating an industrial center and reaping the rewards.
The following year, for the sum of $5, the Elyton Land Company gave five church congregations deeds to property in the new town, including the Advent.
Bowsher writes, “The city’s (and the church’s) first decades brought challenges, including a cholera epidemic and economic hard times. Thus, from the beginning, the Advent’s heritage has been one of new beginnings, deep faith, continuity and adaptation to change. Its heritage includes pastoral care, symbolized by the statue of the compassionate Christ overlooking downtown Birmingham from the church’s 20th Street façade, expressing Christ’s invitation to ‘come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.’”
She also includes how women of the church have played a central role in shaping the church’s heritage, “contributing energy, dedicated service and significant funds, seen in recent times in the annual Lenten lunches.”
“The Advent’s role in the life and development of the city of Birmingham, its sense of commitment to the city center and the needs of all citizens, is another motif running through decades of church life, as are strong preaching and teaching, shaped by each rector and dean’s interests and a committed congregation,” Bowsher said. “History tells us that the Advent’s heritage continues to evolve, reaffirmed and reshaped as the life of the church goes on.”
Celebration Plans
The celebration Sunday will be an all-day affair. At the 9 a.m. service, the Advent Episcopal School Choral Ensemble will lead the congregation in worship, joined by members of the Cathedral Choir and the Ambassador Brass Quintet.
At the 11 a.m. service, the Advent’s Cathedral Choir will be accompanied by the Ambassador Brass Quintet, leading a special celebration of the Lord’s work at the church. And after the 5 p.m. service, there will be a potluck dinner in Clingman Commons.
“What’s so exciting about the celebrations is you get to see so many new faces and old, those who have spent their entire lives at the church and young faces who are just beginning their time at the Advent,” Smalley said. “It’s been wonderful not only looking back but also looking forward. We’re going to continue to share the gospel, holding out the word of life, as long as God allows.”
